Black rice in Málaga: the paella nobody orders

At a table of four, black rice almost never wins the vote. Someone suggests it, someone else says it stains, and the seafood paella wins by default. It is an understandable decision and almost always the wrong one, because black rice carries more concentrated flavour than anything else on a coastal menu.

Why hardly anyone orders it

Three reasons, and all three have an answer. The first is the colour: a black dish does not sell itself the way a yellow one with prawns on top does. The second is the suspicion that it will taste strange, inky, aggressive. The third is that it stains your teeth, which is true for about twenty minutes.

What people tend not to know is that black rice does not taste of ink. The ink gives colour and a saline note underneath, but the flavour comes from the stock and the sofrito, exactly as it does in any other rice. Anyone braced for something harsh finds a rounder, deeper rice than the seafood version, not a weirder one.

What colours it and what is in it

The colour comes from squid or cuttlefish ink, dissolved into the stock before the rice goes in. It is not stirred in at the end or poured over the top. Done that way, the grain would be stained outside and white inside. Properly made black rice is coloured right through to the centre of the grain, and that only happens if the ink arrives with the stock.

Under the colour there is a long sofrito, a fish and shellfish stock, and squid or cuttlefish cut into pieces that cook along with the rice. The grain is a short, round variety that drinks stock and releases starch. It is cooked in a paella pan in a thin layer, without stirring, then rested for a few minutes before it is served.

On our menu arroz negro is 32 euros, the same as the seafood paella. Alongside them sit the chicken paella at 31, the seasonal vegetable paella at 27 and the Iberian pork paella at 34. All of them are cooked to order.

Why you order it the moment you sit down

Rice cannot be made in advance. Either it is cooked when you order it, with its own stock and its resting time, or it is not what it should be. That means thirty to forty minutes from ordering to the pan reaching your table.

The way to stop that feeling long is to order it first, before anything else, and fill the wait with something light. Anchovies in vinegar at 7.50, the prawn and tuna ensaladilla at 8.90 or the heirloom tomato salad at 7.90 all work well. Nothing heavy, because what follows is a serious plate of food.

If a rice dish reaches you in ten minutes, it was not made for you. It is the most reliable signal on any coastal menu.

How to order it and what to drink

• Two people minimum. Rice comes in the pan, to share. For two it is a complete main course.
• Order it first. Before you have even settled on starters. The clock starts when the ticket reaches the kitchen.
• Something cold and dry. A white wine cuts through the ink and the sofrito. The list has Verdejo Nasica at 14 euros and Albariño Esencia Divina at 22.
• Eat from the edge inwards. The rice keeps cooking for a few seconds in the hot pan, and the centre is the last part to cool.
• Keep the napkin handy. It stains. That is part of the deal.

Where we are

La Piratería is at C/ Pacífico 29, in the Huelin neighbourhood, opening onto the promenade opposite La Misericordia beach. The terrace faces the sea and we have high chairs, with an indoor dining room for windy days. There is free street parking throughout the area.

We open Sunday to Thursday from 12:30 to 23:30, and Friday and Saturday from 12:30 to 00:00. You can look at the menu with prices and allergens or check how to find us. The phone number is 641 47 14 13.

Frequently asked questions

How long does black rice take?
Thirty to forty minutes from ordering, resting time included. Order it as soon as you sit down.

Does it taste strongly of ink?
No. The ink adds colour and a saline background. The dominant flavours are the stock and the sofrito.

How many people is it for?
It is served in the pan to share, from two people upwards.

Can I order the rice in advance?
You can mention it when you book a table, so the kitchen starts it earlier and the wait is shorter.